Welcome back to the 2024 F1 Monaco weekend where during FP2 the Monaco native Charles Leclerc dominated the timesheet. Behind him was future teammate Lewis Hamilton for Mercedes in second and Fernando Alonso for Aston Martin in third.
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Lewis Hamilton was the driver to beat in FP1 earlier today, showcasing Mercedes’ improved pace compared to previous race weekends.
The British driver continued to lead the pack as he did this morning, clocking a 1:14.0. Initially, only the Haas cars were within a second of his time, until Verstappen set the fastest lap with a 1:13.7.
The battle for the top spot intensified with less than 10 minutes on the clock. Leclerc claimed the lead with a 1:13.404, but Hamilton swiftly reclaimed it. The Monégasque trailed Hamilton’s FP1 session-topping time by only a couple of tenths.
It appears not all is well with Mercedes. 14 minutes in, George Russell immediately reported an issue with the car at Turn 11 over the radio. He later reported front wing issues that did not appear related to the team’s upgrade.
After 15 minutes, Leclerc led with a 1:12.125. Piastri held second place, with Hamilton in third. Sainz and Alonso rounded out the top five.
Despite no clear improvements from FP1, Verstappen reported to Red Bull over the radio that his car bounced up and down like a Kangaroo.
The end of the Monaco curse?
Leclerc was on it this afternoon. The Ferrari driver was the first to go below a 1:12. He went almost a second clear of Hamilton with a 1:11.573. That was almost as quick as pole position last season.
After fitting softs, Williams‘ Alex Albon went second fastest. Despite his tyre advantage, he delivered a quick lap. Other teams followed suit, with Pérez embarking on a lap with softs.
However, Leclerc soon reclaimed the top spot, going purple in all three sectors with a 1:11.278.
FASTEST SECTORS (20/60 mins)
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 24, 2024
Leclerc all the way! 💨💨💨#F1 #MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/HzYmgCEKeM
Sandbagging?
While there was time for improvement throughout the session, as well as in FP3 and Qualifying tomorrow, Red Bull’s performance did not look promising. Their pace fell far short of Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes.
Verstappen lagged significantly behind Leclerc’s time. It remained unclear if the Dutchman continued to experience bouncing in his car.
Final 20 Minutes
The only driver close to Leclerc, who had dominated the timesheet for some time, was future Ferrari teammate Hamilton. The seven-time World Champion was just under two-tenths of a second behind him.
With just over 10 minutes to go, every driver switched back to the mediums.
Leclerc ran into the Turn 1 run-off and performed a pirouette. A quick spin sent him back on his way to secure his top spot. This puts the hometown hero in good stead for tomorrow.
Russell’s unidentified problem persisted until the end of the session. With mere minutes left, he reported over the radio that the vibration issues he faced earlier had continued.
The chequered flag marked the end of the session with Leclerc, Hamilton, and Alonso as the top three positions. Verstappen and Norris completed the top five.
Will the 2024 F1 Monaco weekend see Leclerc victorious? FP3 and Qualifying follow tomorrow.
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